Apparatus for boning hams of poultry carcasses

Abstract

An apparatus has a means for engaging a ham and a cutting tool for boning. The means is in the form of a pair of coaxially positioned cylinders having interior spaces for receiving the ham bones mounted for relative reciprocation and a loading trough partly surrounding said cylinders in the ham processing zone. The cutting tool is in the form of a hollow cylinder having an end cutting edge and mounted coaxially on one of said cylinders for reciprocation in the trough with respect to this cylinder of said means. The invention may be used for boning off thighbones and shinbones of poultry carcasses.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for boning hams of poultry carcasses, comprising: means for engaging a ham, said means being made in the form of at least a pair of coaxially positioned first and second cylinders having interior spaces for receiving ham bones and a loading trough partly surrounding said cylinders when said cylinders are in a ham processing zone;   said cylinders being mounted for relative reciprocation; and   a cutting tool, said cutting tool comprising a hollow cylinder having an end cutting edge and coaxially mounted on one of said first and second cylinders for reciprocation in the trough with respect to said first and second cylinders.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second cylinders of said ham-engaging means have tapering counterbores in end faces thereof facing towards each other. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein an abutment is provided in the interior of each of the first and second cylinders of said ham-engaging means, said each cylinder being reciprocable with respect to said abutment. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein an additional hollow cylinder is provided on one of the first and second cylinders of said ham-engaging means opposite to the cutting tool coaxially therewith for reciprocation in the trough with respect to the first and second cylinders, with an end face of the additional hollow cylinder facing towards the cutting tool having a tapering counterbore. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of troughs, each of the troughs having associated therewith a respective pair of said first and second cylinders of said ham-engaging means, said troughs and said first and second cylinders being mounted on respective carriers, and sole drive means for providing synchronous movement of the cylinders and troughs to form a plurality of stations for processing the hams of the poultry carcasses. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said carriers are in the form of three coaxially positioned drums including one central drum and two lateral drums, the central drum carrying said troughs and being provided with a fixed guide member surrounding its cylindrical periphery in the ham processing zone, and the lateral drums carrying said first and second cylinders of said ham-engaging means. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein all of said drums are rigidly secured to a common shaft.